Adjustable table



June 19, 1962 Filed Feb. 26, 1959 L. R. BOARDMAN ADJUSTABLE TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 1 15s 7512/? 50/753,141;

June 19, 1962 1.. R. BOARDMAN ADJUSTABLE TABLE- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 26, 1959 INVENTOR. [5752 Rfiafl/sw/mg M, W W

L. R. BOA RDMAN June 19, 1962 ADJUSTABLE TABLE Filed Feb. 26, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,039,215 ADJUSTABLE TABLE Lester R. Boardman, Qommiskey, Ind, assignor to Arvin Industries, Inc, Columbus, 1nd, a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 795,728 10 Claims. (Cl. 38121) This invention relates to adjustable, cross-legged ironing tables. As such tables are commonly manufactured, the rear leg of the table is pivotally attached to the top on a fixed axis, while the upper end of the front leg is adjustable to various positions along the top to control the angle between the legs and the height of the top. This invention relates in particular to means for controlling the position of the upper end of the front leg.

An ironing table incorporating my invention embodies a guide, conveniently in the form of a channel, which extends longitudinally of the top along the lower side thereof. Such guide receives a slide conveniently in the form of a channel and pivotally connected to the upper end of the front leg. A slide adjustment latch is mounted on the guide and is engageable with the slide for releasably locking said slide in an infinite number of adjusted positions in said guide and thereby releasably locking the table in a like number of adjusted positions. Forwardly from the adjustment latch, the top is provided with a gravity-actuated safety latch which, when the table is in operative position with its top horizontal, hangs downwardly into the path of the slide to limit forward movement thereof, thereby limiting collapse of the legs. When the table is up-ended preparatory to collapsing the legs, the gravity-actuated safety latch swings out of the way of the slide to permit the slide to advance into the position it occupies when the legs are fully collapsed. In the preferred arrangement, the guide is provided with upwardly offset ears secured to the lower surface of the top, and such ears are employed to mount the latches.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the table in erected, operative position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation showing the table in the process of being collapsed;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section on an enlarged scale showing the condition of thesafety latch when the legs are fully collapsed;

FIG. 4 is an underneath plan view of the table in fully collapsed condition;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary underneath plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the slide, its guide, and the locking mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a fragmental vertical section showing the FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 11.

The ironing table shown in the drawing comprises a top 10 and a pair of crossed supporting legs 11 and 12 pivotally interconnected intermediate their lengths by a pivot pin 13. The upper end of the leg 11 may be connected to the top in any convenient manner. As shown 3,039,215 Patented June 19, 1962 in FIG. 4, I pivotally connect the upper end of the leg 11 to the top 10 near the rear or blunt end thereof through the medium of a bracket 15 and pivot pin 16. Desirably, braces 17 are pivotally connected at one end to the legs by means of the pivot pin 13 and are pivotally connected to the top 10 near the sides thereof by pivot pins 18 coaxial with the pin 16.

As will be obvious, the height of the top 10, when the table is in erected condition, will depend upon the position of the upper end of the leg 12 along the top. To control the position of such leg, I connect its upper end to a slide 20 which is slidably received in a guide 21 secured to and extending longitudinally of the top 10. As shown, the guide 21 is formed of sheet-metal bent into a channel-shaped cross-section, and the free edges of the channel flanges 22 are bent to form lips 23 extending toward each other in coplanar relationship parallel to the channel-web. The slide 20 is likewise formed of sheetmetal and has downbent flanges 24 at its longitudinal edges, the edges of such flanges riding on the lips 23 as will be clear from FIG. 11. To provide stiffening for the guide 21 a plurality of longitudinal upwardly projecting beads 25 are formed in the guide web. The beads 25 are adapted to bear against the upper surface of the slide 20 to provide a better bearing condition between the slide and its guide.

At intervals along its length, the web of the guide 21 is slit to provide ears which are offset upwardly and secured as by welding to .the lower surface of the top 10. Such cars, which permit the guide 21 to extend across and below transverse reinforcing ribs 26 on the lower surface of the top, include first and second pairs of cars 27 and 28 located near the front end of the guide 21 and a third pair of cars 29 located near the rear end of the guide 21.

In addition to the ears 2729, the guide is secured to the top by a transverse bracket 34 having a flange 35 welded to the lower face of the top and a downwardly extending flange 37 slit along its bottom edge to receive the guide 21 and to provide a lip 38 welded to the guide web.

To effect an operative connection between the leg 12 and the slide 20, the latter is provided with downwardly projecting bosses 30 (FIG. 3), conveniently formed by downwardly struck portions of the slide metal, which snugly receive between them a transverse pin 31 secured as by welding to the upper end of the leg 12. The ends of the pin 31 extend over the lips 23 and are engaged thereby to hold the pin in position between the bosses 30.

In order to limit the extent to which the legs can swing away from the top and also to prevent the slide from moving rearwardly far enough to carry the pin 31 'beyondthe ends of the lips 23, portions of the latter are bent upwardly at their rear ends to form cars 32 which lie inwardly from the slide-flanges 24 in position to be en gaged by the pin 31 to limit rearward movement of both the pin and the slide. I

To lock the slide in the desired position of adjustment in the guide, there is provided a pair of locking members or dogs 40 swingably carried in openings 42 in the bracket 34 on each side of the guide 21. The forward ends of the dogs 40 are notched as at 41 and extend generally forwardly along the sides of the guide 21. The opposite or rearward ends 44 of said dogs are bent inwardly and slightly forwardly to project through openings in the guide flanges 22 to engage the down bent slide flanges 24. The ends 44 of the locking dogs are biased into engagement with the slide flanges 24 by means of leaf springs 46 mounted at one of their ends on lugs 48 formed on the guide flanges 22, with the opposite ends of the springs being provided with lips 49 receivable in the locking dog notches 41. Thus, the outwardly directed biasing action of the spring 46 against the forward ends of the dogs 40 causes the opposite ends of said dogs to be urged inwardly and forwardly against the slide flanges 24 to frictionally bind said slide against forward sliding movement within the guide 21.

In order to release the locking action of the dogs 40 and thereby permit the board to be lowered into the desired position of vertical adjustment, there is provided a lock-release formed from a release rod 50' having a pair of handles 52 extending laterally outwardly and downwardly from the guide 21. The mid-portion of the rod 50 is offset upwardly, said olfset portion comprising a pair of upwardly extending stretches 54 interconnected by a transverse stretch 56. Desirably, the upper ends of the stretches 54 are bent slightly forward so that the transverse stretch 56 lies in a plane slightly forward of the plane defined by the stretches 54. The stretches 54 are disposed immediately adjacent the lateral sides of the guide 21 between the inwardly bent ends 44 of the locking dogs and the vertically extending flange 37 of the bracket 34. Desirably, a pair of ears 58 are struck up- .wardly from the guide web slightly rearwardly of the transverse stretch 56 to hold the offset portion of the rod 50 in a substantially vertical operative position.

During interlocking the handles 52 are raised upwardly causing the vertical stretches 54 of the release bar to move the ends 44 of the locking dogs laterally outwardly and upwardly in a plane oblique to the plane of the top 10. To limit this unlocking movement of the dogs 40, a pair of ears 59 are struck downwardly from the flange 35 on the bracket 34 to lie in the path of vertical movement of the ends 44 of the locking dogs. Thus, upon unlocking the lower ends of the ears 59 will engage the ends 44 of the locking dogs 40 to limit the unlocking movement of said dogs.

To raise the top, it is only necessary to lift it. When a lifting force is applied to the top the weight of the legs causes the slide 20 to move rearwardly within the guide 21 and thereby permit the legs to swing downwardly. The locking dogs 40 do not interfere with this rearward movement of the slide under such lifting, as the ends 44' of the locking dogs 40 exert an inwardly and forwardly directed binding force thereby permitting said slide to be moved rearwardly against said binding force. At or somewhat beyond the position occupied by the forward edge of the slide 20 when the table is in the lowermost position of adjustment provided by the locking dogs 40, I mount a safety latch which is gravity-actuated to limit forward movement of the slide 20 when the table is in its erected position. Such safety latch conveniently embodies a length of round metal rod bent to provide a nose 60 and, on opposite sides of said nose, a pair of aligned portions 62 located but loosely received between the ears 27 and 28. When the table is in operative position with its top extending horizontally, the Weight of the nose 60 causes the safety latch to swing into a position such that the nose will extend downwardly across the guide 21 in a position to be engaged by the forward edge of the slide 20. To prevent the nose 60 from being forced aside by pressure exerted on it by the slide 20, one end of the rod from which the safety latch is formed is bent to provide a finger 63 which engages the lower face of one of the guide lips 23. The offset end 64 of the rod may be bent into the plane of the nose 60 to provide increased weight tending to swing such nose into the path of the slide when the table is in erected position.

When it is desired to collapse the table, it is rotated about the foot of the rear leg 12 until the rear end of the top 10 engages the floor, as shown in FIG. 2. In this position of the top, the force of gravity causes the nose 60 to swing against the top into the position shown in FIG. 3, where it will be out of the path of movement of the slide 20. By moving the handle 50 toward the top 10 the offset portion of said rod is pivoted about its transverse stretch 56 to cause the pair of stretches 54 to bear against the ends 44 of the locking dogs 40 to swing said dogs out of engagement With the slide flanges 24, thereby permitting the slide 2%) to move within the guide 21 so that an upward lifting force applied to the outer end of the leg 11 will move the legs 11 and 12 against the lower face of the top. The table may be readily stored in a vertical position resting on the foot of the leg 12,

The table is most conveniently erected by positioning it as shown in FIG. 2 and swinging the legs 11 and 12 outwardly while the rear end of the top is supported on the floor. When, in the outward swinging of the legs, the slide has moved into association with the ends of the dogs 40, the top is swung forwardly until the foot of the leg 12 engages the floor, and forward swinging is continued to rotate the table about the foot of the leg 12 until the leg 11 engages the floor to bring the table into the position shown in FIG. 1. As the table swings around the foot of the leg 12 in this position, the forces existing tend to move the slide 2431 upwardly or toward the front end of the top 10; and as the engagement of the ends 44 of the locking dogs 49 with the slide flanges 24 prevents such movement, the top and legs rotate as a unit.

Once the board is brought into the position shown in FIG. (1, its elevation can bechanged within the limits of slide movement determined by the safety latch and the ears 32. To lower the board it is only necessary to lift the handle 5t} upwardly toward the top to swing the dogs 40 out of engagement with the slide. When the table has been lowered to the desired elevation, the handle 50 is released, whereupon the springs 46 will force the ends 44 of the locking dogs 40 into engagement with the slide flanges 24 to retain the table in its new elevation. To raise the top, it is only necessary to lift it, the slide 20 moving against the binding action of the locking dogs 40, as previously set forth. When the lifting effort is relieved, the ends 44 of the locking dogs will be swung inwardly and forwardly against the slide flanges 24 under the action of the springs 46 to prevent descent of the top. The ends of the handle 50 desirably extend to a position closely adjacent their sides of the. top so that said handle can be raised by one finger of the hand which grasps the table.

'I claim as my invention:

1. In an ironing table having a top, a first leg pivoted to said top on a transverse axis, a second leg crossing and pivotally interconnected to said first leg, and an adjustable means for connecting the upper end of the second leg to said top, said means comprising a slide pivotally connected to the upper end of the second leg, a guide secured to and extending longitudinally of said top and slidably receiving and supporting said slide, said guide and slide being formed from a pair of interfitting channels having horizontal webs and vertically projecting flanges, a bracket mounted on the lower face of the top and extending transversely across said guide, a pair of locking members swingably carried in said bracket in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said top, said locking members being disposed on opposite sides of said guide and extending through openings in the guide flanges tofrictionally engage the slide flanges for locking said slide in the guide, biasing means acting between said guide; and locking members to urge said locking members into locked position against the slide flanges, and means for swinging said locking members out of engagement with the slide flanges for adjustably sliding the slide within the guide.

2. In an ironing table having a top, a first leg pivoted to said top on a transverse axis, a second leg crossing and pivotally interconnected to said first leg, and an adjustable means for connecting the upper end of the second leg to said top, said means comprising a slide pivotally connected to the upper end of the second leg, a guide secured to and extending longitudinally of said top and slidably receiving said slide, said guide and slide being formed from a pair of interfitting channels having horizontal webs and vertically projecting flanges, the guide flanges being bent inwardly to support said slide, a bracket mounted on the lower face of the top and extending transversely across said guide, a pair of locking members swingably carried in said bracket in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said top, said locking members being disposed on opposite sides of said guide and extending through openings in the guide flanges to frictionally engage the slide flanges for locking said slide in the guide, and a lock-release pivotally carried between said guide and bracket and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom, the central portion of said lock-release being swingable against said bracket to cam against the locking members for swinging them out of engagement with the slide.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 with the -addition the central portion of said lock-release extends transversely across the guide web and is disposed between a pair of ears on said web and the bracket.

4. In an ironing table having a top, a first leg pivoted to said top on a transverse axis, a second leg crossing and pivotally interconnected to said first leg, and an adjustable means for connecting the upper end of the second leg to said top, said means comprising a slide pivotally connected to the upper end of the second leg, a guide secured to and extending longitudinally of said top and slidably receiving said slide, said guide and slide being formed from a pair of interfitting channels having horizontal webs and vertically projecting flanges, the guide flanges being bent inwardly to support said slide, a bracket mounted on the lower face of the top and extending transversely across said guide, a pair of locking dogs swingably carried in said bracket in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said top, said locking dogs being disposed on opposite sides of said guide and extending through openings in the guide flanges to frictionally engage the slide flanges for locking said slide in the guide, biasing means interposed between said locking dogs and the guide to urge the locking dogs into locking engagement with the slide, and a lockrelease pivotally carried on said guide and engageable with said locking dogs to swing them out of locking engagement with the slide.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that said guide is provided with a stop means adjacent one of its ends to prevent the slide from sliding out of said guide during table extension. 1

6. In an ironing table having a top, a first leg pivoted to said top on a transverse axis, a second leg crossing and pivotally interconnected to said first leg, and an adjustable means for connecting the upper end of the second leg to said top, said means comprising a slide pivotally connected to the upper end of the second leg, a guide secured to and extending longitudinally of said top and slidably receiving said slide, said guide and slide being formed from a pair of interfitting channels having horizontal webs and vertically projecting flanges, a bracket mounted on the lower face of the top and extending transversely across said guide, a pair of locking members swingably carried in said bracket in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said top, said locking members being disposed on opposite sides of said guide and extending through openings in the guide flanges to frictionally engage the slide flanges for locking said slide in the guide, a lockrelease pivotally carried on said guide and engageable with said locking members for swinging them out of locking engagement with the slide, and means on said bracket for limiting the swinging movement of said locking members.

7. In an ironing table having a top, a first leg pivoted to said top on a transverse axis, a second leg crossing and pivotally interconnected to said first leg, and an adjustable means for connecting the upper end of the second leg to said top, said means comprising a slide pivotally connected to the upper end of the second leg, a guide secured to and extending longitudinally of said top and slidably receiving said slide, said guide and slide being formed from a pair of interi'itting channels having horizontal webs and vertically projecting flanges, the guide flanges being bent inwardly to support the slide, a bracket mounted on the lower face of the top and extending transversely across said guide, a pair of locking dogs swingably carried in said bracket on opposite sides of said guide and extending through openings in the guide flanges to frictionally engage the slide flanges for locking said slide in the guide, biasing means interposed between said locking dogs and the guide to urge the locking dogs laterally inwardly and forwardly against the slide flanges to prevent slide movement for collapsing the table and permit slide movement for extending the table, and a lock-release pivotally carried on said guide and engageable with said locking dogs to swing them out of locking engagement with the slide.

8. In an ironing table having a top, a first leg pivoted to said top on a transverse axis, a second leg crossing and pivotally interconnected to said first leg, and an ad justable means for connecting the upper end of the second leg to said top, said means comprising a slide pivotally connected to the upper end of said leg, a guide secured to and extending longitudinally of said top and slidably receiving and supporting said slide, said guide and slide being formed from a pair of interfitting channels having horizontal webs and vertically projecting flanges, a bracket mounted on the lower face of said top and extending transversely across said guide, a pair of locking dogs swingably carried in said bracket on opposite sides of said guide, one end of said locking dogs being disposed on one side of said bracket and normally extending through openings in the guide flanges to frictionally engage the slide flanges for locking said slide in the guide and the opposite end of said locking dogs being disposed on the opposite side of said bracket generally parallel to said guide, biasing means acting between said guide and said opposite end of the locking dogs to urge said one end of said locking dogs into locking engagement with said slide flanges, and a lockrelease pivotally carried on said guide and having a central portion swingably engageable with said bracket and said one end of said locking dogs to cam said locking dogs out of engagement with said cam for adjustably sliding the slide within the guide.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 8 with the addition that said locking dogs are swingably carried on a leg in said bracket generally normal to the plane of the top, and said lock-release portion is swingable against the bracket leg to cam said one end of said locking dogs out of engagement with said slide flanges.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 9 with the addition that said lock-release portion has a generally U-shaped configuration including a pair of stretches disposed on opposite sides of said guide for engagement with said one end of said locking dogs and interconnected by a bight carried on the guide web between said bracket leg and upwardly projecting means on said guide web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,210 King June 27, 1882 2,661,554 Siczkiewicz et a1. Dec. 8, 1953 2,663,102 Olander Dec. 22, 1953 2,746,184 Davis May 22, 1956 2,760,286 Voigt et al. Aug. 28, 1956 2,896,347 Hortman July 28, 1959 2,912,775 Gettelman Nov. 17, 1959 2,913,839 Ashby Nov. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 715,372 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1954 

